I Wanna Shout I Love You
by nanoda
Summary: [ongoing] Ever wonder why Rukawa doesn't have any girlfriends? Or why Sakuragi was dumped 50 times? Love may bloom when you least expect it.(RuHana) [chapter 6 up]
1. 001

Yay! The first fic that I dared to post!! It's a RuHanaRu fic. But there won't be much... err... 'action' in it cos I can't write those parts well. Gomen.

**Slam Dunk is not mine.

* * *

**

CHAPTER 1 

"I'm sorry Sakuragi. I'm in love with Oda from the basketball team..." Those words echoed in his heart. Had that only been last year? So much had happened, not all of it good, but truly memorable.

He took out his jersey. Number 10. Watch out high school basketball. This tensai is back.

* * *

Sakuragi entered the gym. He could see Miyagi giving out orders to the new batch of freshmen. Haruko waved at him and he waved back. She sure has changed a lot. Guess working side by side with Ayako as the basketball manager had caused that change.

He scanned the members. Well, well. Guess he's not here. What? Was he expecting _him_ to wait till he arrived and challenged each other on another one-on-one? One that seemed so unfinished last year? Well, yes, actually. But who cares about that show-off. Sakuragi snickered to himself and started doing basics in the corner.

* * *

Dammit. He was late. AGAIN. Miyagi is going to kill him. It wasn't his fault that he had fallen asleep while cycling to school. It also wasn't his fault that his bicycle had crashed into a car, and he had to pay (unwillingly) for the damages.

Upon reaching Shohoku High, he took off his earphones and dashed straight towards the gym, his bicycle forgotten. It's all right. He's a second year now. Surely Miyagi will forgive him...

Rukawa opened the gym door. Miyagi glared at him, but that was the only acknowledgement he made. _Hmm. Guess that wasn't so bad_. Rukawa started to put down his duffel bag when he saw a flash of red in the corner. Well, well, well... the do'aho's back, huh? A flicker of a grin outlined his mouth, but it disappeared as soon as it had formed. He headed towards him...

_Just ignore him_, Sakuragi told himself. _Pretend that you are better than him. You ARE better than him. _He felt Rukawa's hand on his shoulder right before he heard him say, "Oi. You're back."

Sakuragi turned. _Act cool. Act like you don't care_. He smirked. "Yup. And nobody ain't gonna mess with me."

Rukawa shrugged and walk away. He picked up the ball and started practicing. Sakuragi's eyes trailed him, a look of bewilderment. Ok. Did he say something wrong? Hmm. Whatever. Let that faceless fox practice by himself. Sakuragi Hanamichi is perfectly fine and not at all irritated by his words. Honest. But his eyes kept on wandering back towards the black-haired boy.

* * *

The world seemed to be swimming. He blinked. All steady now. Then it started blurring again. Dammit! He cursed, and then gave in to the temptation.

"Rukawa Kaede!" He blinked. A tree is in front of him.... A tree? No. He blinked again. Oh, right. His teacher. Mrs. something-or-other... what subject? He scratched his head. He couldn't remember. He couldn't care less.

"Rukawa Kaede! Do not sleep in my class. Are my lessons that boring? You are already a second year student..." He tuned her out. Teachers. They are all the same. He pushed back his chair and walked out of the classroom nonchalantly. _Whatever_.

"Get back here! If you get out of there..." He slammed the door. Hadn't done that in awhile. He then walked unsteadily towards the rooftop.

He took a deep breath and sat down. Ah. His own place. A place to just be alone. Maybe he'll just lie down and rest for a while. Just for a while...

* * *

Sakuragi stormed up to the rooftop. This is all Youhei's fault. Damn him for causing trouble. Now they are threatening him, and Youhei needed Sakuragi's help to fight them. Those pesky freshmen. They think they are so cool... (He thought he was cool when he was a freshman...)

He slammed opened the door and was shocked to find it empty. Did he get the information wrong again? Hell. He was about to leave when he spotted a familiar-looking figure sprawled on the floor. _Teme kitsune? What is he doing here?_

Sakuragi walked towards him and started poking him. Nothing. He tried shaking. Still no reaction. Frustrated, he kicked Rukawa hard in the stomach.

"Uuf." Rukawa muttered then stood up. He rubbed his eyes sleepily and muttered. "Nobody gets in the way of me and my sleep. You kicked me, huh? Payback time..."

His fist stopped on midair. "Oh. It's you." He murmured and sat down lazily.

"What do you mean, 'Oh, it's you'?" Sakuragi demanded. He sat down beside Rukawa. "You're not going to punch me?"

"Baka." Rukawa muttered and punched Sakuragi lightly on the cheeks.

"That's all? Come on, don't tell me you have gotten weak." Sakuragi mocked.

Rukawa shot a fleeting glance at him and said, "I don't want to hurt you."

"Why? Is it because you missed me? Or...you realized that I am actually a tensai and you don't want to injure me as you are depending on me for the upcoming matches? I knew it. Of course. Rukawa, you are jealous. You...Are you even listening?!"

Beside him, Rukawa was snoring lightly. Sakuragi grew silent. He does look rather adorable when he's sleeping. Sort of like a girl, if you ignore the muscle and that drool at the corner of his mouth. The drool... Sakuragi took out his handkerchief. He reached over to wipe it.

"What are you doing?" Rukawa's eyes bore down on him.

Sakuragi jumped back. "Nothing, nothing." He looked around. "Hey, do you remember? We first met here. I was so in love with Haruko and got jealous of you. We beat the crap out of each other."

Rukawa nodded. "Those days... you're tough. I had a headache for three days."

Sakuragi beamed. "Of course. I'm a tensai." He laughed. Pressing his palms flat on the floor, he pushed himself up. Holding out his hand, he said, "I have something to tell you..."

Rukawa took it and stood up. He dusted himself and dragged Sakuragi out to the stairway. "_We_ have some unfinished business to attend to. I've been looking forward to this..."

Sakuragi's eyes widened as Rukawa grabbed both his arms and pulled him towards the hallway.


	2. 002

CHAPTER 2 

They entered the gym. Rukawa took a ball from the rack. "We still need to decide who's the better one here. Remember the challenge last year? You lost. Let's see how far you have improved."

Rukawa whizzed past Sakuragi and laid the ball into the hoop.

"That's unfair! I wasn't ready! Damn you, Rukawa..." Sakuragi complained. Rukawa passed the ball to him, his face showing no signs of guilt.

Sakuragi held the ball in his palms lightly, testing its weight. He missed it. Those few weeks of absence due to his back problem, how he missed holding the ball, listening to its rhythmic bounce on the gym floor. He looked up at the hoop. He remembered his first 'dunk' with Haruko. Lovely Haruko.

Slowly, the ball dropped from his hand. He remembered Rukawa's dunks. Oh, how vivid it was. How he always seemed to be soaring in that second, which seemed like minutes, before smashing the ball right through the hoop, it's sound echoing triumphantly throughout the sports hall.

"Oi, do'aho. What is it? I don't have all day..."

Sakuragi turned to look at Rukawa. "This... This is the place where we had a fight, remember?"

"Too many fights...too many fights..." Rukawa pondered. _What is that idiot up to now? _

"The one where we lost to Kainan...I...It was my fault and I shaved my hair off..." Sakuragi pointed to his hair. "It's growing back, and the black roots can be seen. I should dye it red again, but...maybe I should dye it blue...what do you think?"

"...It was MY fault we lost..."

"WILL YOU GIVE IT UP ALREADY!! Anyway, do you know why I hesitated when I wanted to hit you?"

"Because you know you couldn't win."

"That's not it, you emotionless fox! I didn't want to... you see... I was attracted to you and... I didn't want to...you know..."

Rukawa was staring oddly at him. "What? You don't have to look at me like that," Sakuragi exclaimed. "But...that was last time...now...he...hehe..." he laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head.

Rukawa sighed. Do'aho. A really big idiot. But his words kept him up all night.

* * *

Late. Late. Late... And it's all that do'aho's fault. However, Rukawa was cycling unhurriedly to school. Thank goodness there's no morning practice today. That do'aho's words had kept him up all night till he had overslept.

He cycled through a lane. Well, it looked like a short cut, but he could never tell directions properly. Hopefully, he's not lost.

_"You see...i was attracted to you and...I didn't want to...you know..."_ The dumbass' words echoed. Rukawa wished it would get out of his head. _That do'aho. Do'aho do'aho do'aho do'aho do'aho do'a... _

Speak of the devil. There's no mistaking that red hair. He seemed rather relaxed for someone who was late for school. Rukawa sped towards him, and then stopped himself. What was he _doing_? He's not actually _eager_ to see that baka, right? Right. Rukawa continued cycling at a steady pace, though the temptation to bump into him was too great.

Sakuragi put his hands into his pants pockets. He looked up at the sky, and then looked at his watch. Half an hour late for school. Oh, well. Since he's already late, he might as well just stroll to school. What's the rush?

He frowned as he heard a crash behind him. _What the..._ He turned around. A bicycle was lying on the ground behind an overturned rubbish bin. He could see a pair of legs sticking out.

"Hey, are you alright?" Sakuragi asked, concerned. As he neared the boy, he noticed a familiar school uniform. Shohoku? Probably a cheeky freshman.

Sakuragi kicked the boy. "Oi. Get up."

Rukawa blinked. Had he fallen asleep while cycling again? Darn. He shielded his eyes from the sun, and saw Sakuragi kicking at him. What is he doing?

"Get up and fight like a man!"

Rukawa stood up. He took one look at Sakuragi's shocked face, then up righted his bicycle. He hopped on to it and continued cycling, ignoring the stunned redhead.

"Wait...WAIT!" Sakuragi yelled behind him. Why did Rukawa do that? Was it because of what he had said yesterday? Sakuragi looked in front of him. He squinted his eyes. No sign of him. He shrugged. He had only one thing left to do. He dusted himself off and continued walking to school.

* * *

"Hey, Rukawa. I'm talking to you. Stop right there. I need to have a word with you." Sakuragi demanded when he caught sight of Rukawa after school.

"Not now. Practice."

"Just for a moment dammit!" Sakuragi grabbed Rukawa's arm and dragged him to the nearest empty room.

"Look, I'm sorry for what i said yesterday. It was wrong. I know you are mad at me. I'm sorry. Just don't ignore me anymore. It was..."

Rukawa scratched his head and interrupted, "Do'aho. I always ignore you in school."

"That's not the point! Look, I'm sorry. Let's start over and pretend that I had never mention anything, alright?" Sakuragi said. He then looked away, realizing that he had talked too much.

"Forget about it? I can do that."

Sakuragi's face fell. Had he expected Rukawa to say that he had the same feelings too? He really had expected too much.

"But...can you forget this...?"

Rukawa leaned over suddenly. The move was so quick that Sakuragi only had enough time to blink before he felt Rukawa's breath on his mouth.

His mouth was only a whisper away. "Try forgetting this..." Rukawa drew his mouth towards Sakuragi's. It was a slow and sweet kiss. A first kiss. Sakuragi wound his arms around Rukawa's neck and deepened the kiss. His tongue slowly met Rukawa's coaxing one.

Sakuragi's head spun as he pulled back. Blood pumped through his veins as he unwound his hands and pressed it to his lips. Had he just...

Rukawa gazed back lazily. Sakuragi could imagine him with a smug grin on his face, but, knowing the real Rukawa, his face was emotionless, as usual. "Hmph." was the only comment he made before he left the classroom.


	3. 003

Yay. Chapter 3 finally done!  
Inspiration for this chapter: "I heard but did not listen" from Abraham's Promise.

**Slam Dunk is not mine. It will never be mine.

* * *

**

CHAPTER 3

Rukawa closed his eyes tightly. He shivered as he felt cold air blowing pass his naked body. Twisting the knob, his shoulder jerked as the first drop of cold water hit him. _Haa... _

15 minutes later, he stepped out of the shower. Slowly, he grabbed the towel and tied it securely around his waist. He sauntered towards the phone and checked his answering machine.

"You have 9 new messages..."

9?? In just 15 minutes? What the hell...?

The first three messages were for his parents. He heard it, but did not listen.

"Fourth message."

"Ano... Rukawa..." A very familiar voice said, then quickly followed by a dial tone.  
The next few messages were a few hesitant murmurs by the same person.

Rukawa listened carefully. Why. That do'aho was actually nervous. His mouth twitched in amusement. Imagine that.

Suddenly, a gruff voice was heard in the small room. "Excuse me. This is for Rukawa-san. We have reviewed your performances last year and accepted your application. A basketball scholarship is given to you. We hope to see you in a month's time."

Rukawa paused. He scratched his head slowly. Scholarship... Scholarship... Scholarship? His brain cells jerked. Ah! His basketball scholarship at a university in America. Had they really accepted him?

He whooped for joy. He shrieked. He ran around, screaming, "I did it! I did it!" He smirked. If only he could show that kind of reaction. That do'aho would probably do all those, and more. All Rukawa did was calmly buckle his jeans.

Pulling down his blue sweater, Rukawa grabbed his keys and left his house.

* * *

Sakuragi hung up. How many times had he done that? And how many times had he chickened out? The only times when he was brave enough to actually hear the ringing tone, all he got was his freaking machine.

Why was he torturing himself? What had happened to all of his self-confidence that he had possessed last year? Had it disappear, along with his cockiness?

Ever since that Rukawa had kissed him, he had felt so unsure. Does that mean that they are lovers? Or was it just another joke? Rukawa...joking? Yeah, sure.

Sakuragi stepped away from the phone. He shall not look at it anymore, he promised himself. Nope. No more calls to that fox face.

He sat down on the sofa and surfed the channels. Boring, boring... His head sprang up. What was that? _Thud. Thud._ There it was again. Who could it be..?

Whoever it was, it definitely could not be his mother. She had decided to go on a road trip all the way to Okinawa to find her true identity and also inner peace, leaving her only son alone in Japan, eating only take-outs and fast food.

_Thud._ It was definitely coming from his bedroom window. Sakuragi tiptoed towards the window. Everything outside was still. He opened it.

"OW!" He yelped as a stone hit him hard on the head. "Itai!!" He rubbed his forehead roughly. "Hey! Stop throwing stones at my window, y'hear? Who is doing this? Show yourself."

Rukawa stepped out of the shadows.

"Dammit, Rukawa! You could have at least knocked on the front door or something! Now I have a throbbing headache. Bloody hell!" Sakuragi yelled at the unmoving boy.

Rukawa shrugged. "I'm coming up," he said, and without waiting for an answer, strode towards the front door.

Sakuragi opened the door without a word. Rukawa breezed past him and plopped himself on the sofa. "Watching TV?" he muttered and picked up the remote.

What a rude sonovabitch. Just barging in and treating this like his bloody home. Who does he think he is?

Sakuragi snatched the remote away. He switched the TV off and faced Rukawa.

"Hey. I was watching that..."

"Shut up." Sakuragi scowled. "What are you doing here? You can't just... STAY here. It's not right. And I'm sick of you treating me like dirt."

"I treat you like..."

"Yes, you do. You know it. What? You think I don't have any feelings? I'm human too, you know. Your insults used to mean nothing to me, but now... now... It hurts. It really does."

Sakuragi pointed his index finger to the door. "That's why I want you to leave. NOW. I'm sorry, but I deserve better."

For the first time, Sakuragi saw Rukawa's eyes widened with his mouth hanging open. He really does look funny, sort of like a gaping fish, and Sakuragi's mouth twitched in amusement.

"Alright. I'll leave. Do'aho."

Rukawa stood up from the sofa and strolled to the door. Before stepping out, he scratched his head and turned around.

"I didn't know you were hurt. I'm sorry."

Sakuragi faltered, but he nodded at the apology. Inside, his heart quivered slightly at the apology. He knew how hard it had to be for Rukawa to apologize. What else apologize to _him_...

"So... I'll leave..." Rukawa muttered. He turned towards the door and stepped out.

Sakuragi slammed the door shut before Rukawa could turn around and say something else. Did he do the right thing? Did he just drive them more apart?

He leaned against the door and rested his hands on his forehead. _Baka. Sakuragi, you big baka. _He shouldn't have asked Rukawa to leave. The chances of Rukawa ever being his are getting hazier and blur as the days past.

Sakuragi turned to open the knob. _I'm sorry, Rukawa. Come back..._ His hand grabbed the knob right before he heard three sharp taps on the door. Eagerly, he opened it.

"Rukawa. I..."

Rukawa brushed past him. "Forgot my bag." He mumbled. He grabbed his duffel bag, then turned to leave.

Sakuragi stood there, helpless. All he could do was watch Rukawa's back as he disappears into the night.


	4. 004

**Slam Dunk is not mine!

* * *

**

CHAPTER 4 

Rukawa stroked a match. He then watched it burn. The flame licked the wooden stick till it turned to ashes. He dropped it onto the ground.

What was he doing here? Rukawa looked at the hoop, looming high, taunting him to score a basket. _Just one, teeny-weeny basket_. His hands itched to unzip his duffel bag and take out his basketball. _Just one. _

He gave in to the temptation. The rhythmic bounce of the ball was like music to his ears. The sight of his perfect baskets was like an ego booster, encouraging him to do it, again and again.

He flicked the ball in the direction of the hoop. Without a hint of a doubt, the ball went right through, without touching the net or the rim. He dropped onto the floor, panting.

What time is it? Late. He didn't care. He felt calm now. Basketball... his only love.

But what about these feelings for that redhead? Sure, he felt affection, maybe even admiration. But love? Impossible... Right?

He could feel his anger boiling up again. How dare that do'aho kicked him out. Just when he came over to tell him... well, tell him something. He couldn't remember it now, but it seemed important.

Had he really hurt that idiot? Who could have thought that the 'tensai' could actually have those feelings?

Rukawa got up and retrieved the ball. Tomorrow. He'll do something tomorrow. Something... He'll figure it out. Tonight, the basket is his enemy.

* * *

Sakuragi laughed loudly. He slapped his hand on the table several times to emphasize his happiness, then choked on his burger.

Youhei looked oddly at Sakuragi, then patted his back. "Hey. You don't have to overdo it, you know," He whispered into Sakuragi's ear. "Takamiya's joke wasn't even THAT funny."

Sakuragi gave a big grin and scratched his head. "Well, I think it's hilarious."

Youhei studied his friend. Something is wrong. He could sense that.

"You've been dumped again?" He asked.

Sakuragi's gundan ears' pricked. "Hanamichi got dumped again?! That's no surprise. Except, we didn't even know who she was!" They whooped for joy, ignorant to their friend's suffering.

"Baka." Sakuragi got up from the booth and left the burger joint. Who was he kidding, trying to find comfort among his friends? He's alone, all alone. Nobody understood him. Nobody ever will.

Putting his hands in his pocket, he walked slowly home, his head bowed down. He started listlessly at the cars zooming past. He took in the familiar scenery. The tree, that lamp post.

He stopped at the public basketball court. He rested his hands lightly on the metal fence. He remembered this place. Lots of memories here.

Gori giving him advice about 'killing with your eyes'. Haruko teaching him a lay-up shot. His first encounter with Fukuda. He even remembered the 200 shots he made here, right before the match against Takezato. Too tired, he had fallen asleep. As a result, he arrived late, somewhere near the end of the 2nd half, and had gotten a punch in the head by Gori.

He opened the gate at the corner and entered the court. A group of teenagers were playing a half-court game. Sakuragi smiled, and it built up to a chuckle, till he was laughing loudly. Dumb idiots. They think basketball is an easy game? Only a tensai could play it, and play it well. A good player is 99 talent and 1 hard work.

Darn. He wished he had a ball now. Not to practice. Geniuses don't need to practice. He just wanted to show those kids how the game is truly played. He scanned the court. His eyes lay on an abandoned ball at the far corner. All right.

He jogged steadily towards it. As he got closer and closer to the ball, an uncomfortable image seemed to loom closer and closer. It seemed to be a lump on the floor, but as he neared it, he realized that it was a person.

Was there a fight here last night? Is he dead? Sakuragi tentatively poked the unmoving figure. He squinted, blocking the glaring sun from his eyes.

"Ru... Rukawa?" Sakuragi quickly took a step back. What was he doing here? And why the hell are there burnt out match sticks lying all around him?

He swiftly backed away. Without a sound, he picked up Rukawa's ball (well, it most probably belonged to Rukawa, right?) and headed for the court.

Sakuragi took a deep breath, palmed the ball, and played his game.

* * *

Rukawa blinked. There was an irritating throbbing in his head. He gently touched his forehead. It got worst.

He sat upright. Where was he? Had he fallen asleep at the court? Well, obviously, as he was wearing yesterday's clothes and the impressions of the roughly pebbled ground could be felt on his cheeks and arms.

So that was where the throbbing came from. Kids playing basketball. _Go away_, he threatened mentally. He stood up and brushed off the dry leaves sticking to his jeans. He turned around to get his basketball and found the spot where his beloved had been empty.

Rukawa panicked. His ball... Had it rolled off to the streets and was run over by a car? Or maybe a jealous basketball player had come at night and stole his precious ball away? Or one of those punks had come and thought that his ball was actually theirs? WHERE THE HELL IS HIS BALL?

"Hey. Rukawa. You're awake. You've been asleep for so long that I had almost given up and wanted to beat you till you open your eyes."

Rukawa shielded his eyes from the rays with his left hand. _Who..._ Oh. That do'aho. What was he doing here?

He walked towards the red-haired monkey. "Oi. That's my ball." He said and held out his hand, expecting Sakuragi to hand it over.

Sakuragi hid the ball behind his back and stuck out his tongue. "You'll have to play for it," he said cheekily.

Rukawa smirked. "I'll win anyway, do'aho." However, he took off his sweater and flung it aside. "Let's have a bet."

Sakuragi's smile appeared easily. He wasn't angry with him anymore, his heart rejoiced. "Alright. The winner gets to do anything, anything at all, with the winner for a day. That okay with you?" He suggested.

Rukawa rotated his neck, relaxing his muscles. He flicked his hair back, but it immediately fell back on his face. His game face appeared, and his unblinking eyes stared straight into Sakuragi's brown ones. "You're on."

* * *

**(A/N)** Haha. My favourite line in this chapter: _"And why the hell are there burnt out match sticks lying all around him?"  
_Maybe I could make it into an eccentric fetish of Rukawa's... hmm... 


	5. 005

**Slam Dunk is not mine.**

After a year and a half hiatus, I'm back to continue this fic. The style may have changed a little, but my adoration for these two characters still remains the same.

* * *

CHAPTER 5

Rukawa dribbled the ball calmly in front of the redhead. "Come on, come on," Sakuragi said impatiently. "Hurry up." The redhead gritted his teeth.

When Rukawa realized that Sakuragi was distracted, he zipped past the boy, stopped at the three-pointer line, and raised his arms high. With a light flick, he released the ball, and it fell into the hoop with a whoosh.

"Dammit, you foxy face! I wasn't ready for that. Basket not counted!" Sakuragi's face was red, either from the hot weather or from the embarrassment that Rukawa had gotten past him.

"You'll never be ready, anyway," retorted the raven-haired boy.

"Grr…" Sakuragi claimed the neglected from the side. He jogged lightly back towards the center of the court. "First person to score three baskets wins," he negotiated, then without waiting for Rukawa's answer, he dribbled the ball towards the hoop behind Rukawa and laid it in.

Rukawa sighed when he heard the redhead's laughter. "Did you see that, you skinny fox? This tensai managed to get past you. I'm sure you're definitely too shocked by my superbly awesome skills to actually reply, right? Nyahaha…"

Sakuragi passed the orange ball back to Rukawa, and stood in front of the boy with his arms outstretched. "Try to get past me now."

"You talk too much."

"Teme! How dare you insult this tensai. I have more talent than you ever will have, even in your dreams. Why, I should make you bow down to me…" Sakuragi faltered. Rukawa was looking deep into his eyes; his usually cool blue eyes were now a dark velvet colour. Whoa. What?

Rukawa started to move towards the left, but Sakuragi responded by moving towards his right. "Gotcha," Rukawa mumbled, and dribbled towards his right instead. He stopped under the basket and shot. Swish.

"Oi. You shouldn't get so distracted on the court, you know. It's a war out here."

"I knew that," Sakuragi muttered. He grabbed the ball, and without warning, dashed towards the hoop and smashed it through. "Slam dunk!" he bellowed.

"Always in a rush," Rukawa commented.

"Oh, stop trying to make yourself feel better. Just admit it. This tensai is far better than your amateurish skills."

Rukawa, after gaining possession of the ball, continued his slow and lazy dribble. However, this time, Sakuragi was not willing to take any chances. _I have to win this. I WANT to win this._

"Hun hun hun hun hun hun hun. Get a load of this, Rukawa! My famous hun-hun defense!" Sakuragi exclaimed as he defended. He blocked the right, the left, the top, everywhere with his fast reflexes that it became virtually impossible for the opponent to shoot. It was like a high brick wall, his hun-hun defense. But Rukawa saw a weakness with that defense. He could see the loop, the hole, which Sakuragi had neglected to cover. He could pass the ball through it, run around the idiot, and score. But, does he want to?

Rukawa lightly released the ball, knowing perfectly well what would happen next. Sakuragi grabbed the loose ball triumphantly. "Ha." With that, he dribbled towards the hoop, with Rukawa defending now.

"Huu!" Sakuragi did a feint.

_Shit. That feint was so obvious, even an infant could see through it. _But Rukawa obligingly jumped up.

Sakuragi dribbled around the boy and shot from under the basket.

* * *

"I beat that flat faced fox," Sakuragi boasted. "Of course, this genius with his incredible skills cannot be compared to Rukawa's junior high skills."

Rukawa wiped the sweat trickling down the side of his face with the towel draped around his shoulder. He drank from the can. He tightened his shoelaces, then stood up from his sitting position.

Sakuragi frowned. _He's not actually upset, is he?_ He wondered. "It's okay Rukawa. I'll go easy on the punishments."

Rukawa turned to look at the redhead, and a hint of a smirk appeared at the corner of his lips. "Just so you know, I let you win."

"Feh, no way. Well, if it helps your bruised ego much, you can continue saying that, if you want. But this tensai won, fair and square. And you have to do everything I say for the day!" Sakuragi said victoriously. "And the first thing I want you to do is to smile."

Rukawa was taken aback. "What?" Was the reply he could muster, as he stared Sakuragi incredulously.

"Come on, come on. I've never seen you smile."

"Good," Rukawa piped in.

"I just want one little smile. Just for me. I'll forgive you of all the hurtful things you had said to me for the past few days if you'll just smile for me," Sakuragi begged, curious to see how the ice prince would look like with an upturned lip on his face.

Rukawa put his ball back into the duffel bag and stood. He slowly walked towards the gate to leave.

"OI!" Sakuragi exclaimed in outrage as he trailed the boy. "I'm talking to you!"

"What's there to be smiling about? I lost to a baboon on a one-on-one and I'm hungry and tired. Go find someone else to bother," Rukawa said over his back.

Sakuragi slowed his steps. "You promised," he said as he stood at the gate.

Rukawa stopped in his tracks. He turned slowly. "Do'aho." He held out his right hand.

Sakuragi raised an eyebrow. _What? Does he want to shake hands now? Or… maybe he wants to hold my hand and we'll walk hand-in-hand towards my house?_ His cheeks turning crimson, Sakuragi gingerly reached towards the outstretched hand.

Rukawa dropped his hand. "Do'aho. I knew you'd think stupid thoughts."

"Teme kitsune! You're gonna pay…"

Rukawa leaned over and laid a gentle peck on Sakuragi's smooth cheek. The other boy stopped in mid-sentence as his eyes widened in shock. Rukawa's lips slowly traveled towards the redhead's ear. He gently bit the lobe and then whispered in his ear, his cool breath like a caress to Sakuragi's hot skin. "All right. You win. Do what you want with me."


	6. 006

**Slam Dunk is not mine.

* * *

**

CHAPTER 6

"I still can't believe Rukawa is buying for you your lunch, Hanamichi," Youhei said, eyeing Rukawa at the bar from the corner of his eye. "Anything you're not telling me?" He stretched out his right arm and laid it on the window ledge by their booth.

Sakuragi chuckled. "I beat that amateur and that's his punishment."

Youhei raised an eyebrow as he focused his vision once again on his best friend. "And he's doing this willingly? I thought the both of you never got along well. Is this the start of a new friendship I'm sensing?" He jested.

"Maybe more," Sakuragi mumbled under his breath, but Youhei was sharp enough to hear it. The shorter boy rested his palm on his chin and gazed into Sakuragi's brown eyes.

"Tell me," he coaxed.

"Well," Sakuragi hesitatingly looked at Rukawa. Good. He's still waiting impatiently for the food to arrive. There's still time for him to tell Youhei everything he had been keeping to himself for a whole year. "I think I like him, as in, more than a friend sort of like." He paused. "I'm attracted to him." There, he said it.

"Hmm." Was Youhei's only repond as he continued gazing at the redhead.

"Youhei. Is it wrong? This feeling? I'm a guy, and he's a guy. It's…"

"In today's society, people are more open-minded. I'm sure they'll accept it. But, I'm not really surprised. When you hate someone, you will be obsessed about the person, his quirks, his hobbies, his favourite food, favourite colour, favourite hang out, till one day, you realize that you are obsessed with that person because you are attracted to him. Maybe that's how you're feeling about Rukawa. You used to hate him a lot at the beginning, finding every chance to beat him up. But I sensed that you changed as the years go by. I thought it was acceptance. Never thought it'll be attraction. Maybe even…love?" Youhei leaned back into his seat.

Sakuragi pursed his lips thoughtfully. "That's quite a mouthful coming from you, Youhei. I'm glad you're the practical one among the rest of the guys. Thanks for understanding," he nodded appreciatively as he kicked his best friend playfully under the table.

"Why is he here?"

Youhei smirked at the boy standing before him. He deliberately stretched himself further into the booth and stretched out both his arms, making himself comfortable. "Yo," he drawled, lifting his right hand in greeting, and then plopping it back onto the head of the seat.

Rukawa sat opposite him, beside Sakuragi, and slowly emptied the overflowing tray of food onto the table. He placed Sakuragi's order: A turkey bacon burger with extra mayonnaise, a large fries and large cup of soda, in front of the redhead, then placed his own beef burger in front of him. As he settled into his seat, he glared at the unwanted guest. "I didn't buy anything for you. Sorry." But his tone was unapologetic.

"I know when I'm not wanted. Well, see you around, Hanamichi, Rukawa. Ja!" Youhei sighed deliberately at Rukawa's coldness, and then slid out of the booth to leave the diner. Rukawa silently ate his burger, but Sakuragi turned back to wave to his friend. When Youhei was sure that Rukawa couldn't care less about him, he gave a thumbs up sign to his friend and mouthed '_gambatte_.'

Sakuragi smiled at the gesture. He turned back towards his food and unwrapped his burger. He took a sideway glance at the silent boy beside him and smiled secretly. Rukawa, amazingly, had been a good sport today. When Sakuragi had wanted to visit the amusement park, Rukawa willingly paid for the tickets and followed the redhead around. He even accompanied Sakuragi on the roller coasters, and Sakuragi knew that boy usually tries to avoid that blasted machine as he turned an interesting shade of green after their second ride. But Rukawa did not utter a single complain. Then, when Sakuragi wanted to visit the sportswear store to survey some basketball shoes, Rukawa tagged along. Sure, he was silent throughout, but Sakuragi knew the raven-haired boy was enjoying the afternoon. Somehow, he could sense it.

When the sky darkened, Sakuragi suggested they visit a diner near the school. Rukawa followed without a fight, and even volunteered to pay for the meal. _I could get use to this_, the redhead mused. _Maybe Youhei was right. My obsession with him, it was all because I was attracted to the person that he is. And maybe, he feels the same way too_.

"Rukawa, want a fry?" Sakuragi held one out, expecting the boy beside him to take it between his fingers. Instead, the blue-eyed boy leaned forward and nibbled on the fry till his lips touched Sakuragi's finger. He then licked off the salt sticking onto the other boy's skin.

"Yummy," Rukawa mumbled as he leaned back. Slowly, Sakuragi pulled back his hand towards his body. But his eyes still refused to avert his gaze. _Those eyes,_ the redhead wondered. _It turned violet again. Just like during the match._

"The day's almost over. What else do you want before this bet expires?" Rukawa looked away and concentrated on his burger. "Being nice is rather tiring."

Sakuragi snapped out of his reverie. "Teme! So you're just acting nice because of the bet? I'm leaving." Sakuragi took his last bite of the burger and stood up to leave, then realized that Rukawa was sitting on the outside, blocking his exit. "Kitsune, move."

"I haven't finished my burger yet," Rukawa mumbled between bites. He took a sip of his soda, then took another baby bite of his burger.

_He's provoking me,_ Sakuragi growled inwardly. "Dammit!" he cursed and then sank towards to floor. When he was under the table, he crawled in between its legs and headed for the aisle. Rukawa put one foot forward. "TEME KITSUNE!" came the growl from under the table.

"People are watching," Rukawa said quietly, only for Sakuragi to be heard. He then said in a slightly louder tone for most of the patrons in the diner to hear. "I know you want to blow me _that_ badly, but could you please wait till we're on the bed to do this? It's rather uncomfortable."

A few muffled giggles were heard from the group of teenage girls at a nearby booth. Sakuragi turned crimson under the table when some curious onlookers peeped under the table to verify Rukawa's statement. There was a loud buzzing noise in his ear, either from his heated skin or the lack of air from under the table, he could not tell. He only knew that he had to get out of there, and not to return to his seat. Ever.

With a deep breath, Sakuragi dug his fingernails into Rukawa's shin, and when the other boy jerked in pain, he rushed out from under the table, threw open the diner door, and ran for his life, swearing under his breath that he shall never return to that blasted place again.

* * *

"I knew I'd find you here."

"Feh, since when did you ever know me so well, stupid fox?"

Rukawa sighed and settled into the empty swing beside the redhead. He kicked his heels into the sand and the swing swayed.

Sakuragi was silent. He liked this place. He remembered the first time he was here. It was with Ryota, when they first confessed to each other the number of times they were rejected by girls. Since then, he returned to this playground. There was something about this playground's charm that had attracted the redhead then, and now, he still visits it every now and then to clear his mind, especially after a rough basketball match.

"You're not actually angry, are you?"

Sakuragi gripped the chains of the swing tighter. "The bet is still valid. I want you to apologize."

Rukawa's eyebrow shot up. "What for, do'aho?"

"For everything you said to me. Since the first time I saw you on that rooftop." Sakuragi knew asking for an apology, especially from Rukawa was futile. That boy has pride. And even if he did apologize, would it actually make any difference?

"I'm sorry."

It was a simple two-word apology, but Sakuragi could tell that Rukawa really meant it. He turned to face the boy, only to realize that he's staring at his feet. "I've never said that sincerely before," the black-haired boy said, a hint of surprise in his tone. He placed his two feet into the firm sand and stood up. "Whoa."

Sakuragi hesitated. "Rukawa?" the raven-haired boy turned to face him. "As a final wish, can I see where you live?" _Could he sense it?_ The need, the uncertainty, the insecurity that had rushed into his system and wedged itself permanently into his throat. Sakuragi looked away, refusing to meet his teammate's eyes. _Teammate_. Maybe that's all we'll ever be.

Rukawa squatted down in front of the redhead and cupped his chin with his pale right hand. "Do'aho. You don't have to beat around the bush with me. Just tell me what you want." His index finger lightly traced the contour of Sakuragi's face. _Beautiful._

"I don't want to be alone tonight."

"Do'aho. Nobody wants to be alone at night." With that, he leaned forward till his lips barely skimmed Sakuragi's. "I wonder if you had forgotten our kiss in the classroom," Rukawa said seductively. Sakuragi snorted. It was surprising he could even utter a single noise, as his whole body seemed to be tightening and his heart was beating wildly. "Well, let's refresh your memory, shall we?" but instead of locking their lips, Rukawa playfully bit the redhead's lower lip. "Punishment for forgetting," he mumbled, then bridged the gap till their lips were connected.

Sakuragi lifted his hand and laid it on the back of Rukawa's neck, mostly because it seemed like the most natural thing to do, and also, he might slid off the swing if he did not grab onto anything for support. Sakuragi parted his lips, inviting Rukawa's tongue into his warm mouth.

They stayed like this for about five minutes, Rukawa leaning forward, and Sakuragi trying hard to prevent himself from toppling off the swing, all the while their tongue explored their partner's taste and essence. With a sigh, Sakuragi broke the kiss and absently played with Rukawa's messy hair.

"So, I guess that's a yes?"


End file.
